March 18 - NYT Journalist Katie Thomas on Shire's Controversial Binge Eating Disorder Treatment

Lucky Shire Pharmaceuticals.  The Irish drug-maker just had the popular ADHD drug, Vyvanse, approved as the first (and to date the only) treatment for the newly-recognized binge eating disorder.  For Shire's bottom line this could mean another $300 million a year in sales.  But prescribing Vyvanse to treat binge eating, NY Times investigative reporter Katie Thomas told KSFR's Dave Marash on HERE AND THERE, means putting millions of people on an addictive amphetamine. Shire was fined $56 million by the FDA for misleading advertising for Vyvanse as a treatment for ADHD, by overstating its effects and underrepresenting the risk of addiction. For the At Noon excerpt of this interview, Click Here. For a full podcast of this episode of HERE AND THERE, Click Here.